Artwork

The City of Benares, on the Ganges, View of the Great Mosque of A (?) and Adjoining Landing Places

The City of Benares, on the Ganges, View of the Great Mosque of A (?) and Adjoining Landing Places is a photography by the Impressionist artist Samuel Bourne. It dates from 1866 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This 1860s photograph depicts a bustling riverbank scene in Benares (now Varanasi), featuring wooden boats, stone steps, and a prominent mosque with tall minarets.

Subject & Meaning

The image captures a snapshot of daily life and architectural heritage in 19th-century Benares, highlighting the Great Mosque and its adjacent landing places along the Ganges River.

Technique & Style

Taken by photographer Bourne, the photograph exemplifies early photographic challenges and achievements, involving the transportation of heavy equipment to capture detailed, documentary-style images of Indian monuments and scenes.

History & Provenance

Part of an album containing 50 images from the 1860s, this photograph is a valuable historical record, showing the mosque's pre-20th-century restoration state, differing from its current appearance.

Context

The photograph is one of several in the album documenting major Indian cities and monuments from the Himalayas to Calcutta, including the Taj Mahal and Delhi's imperial mosque, before modern restorations altered their appearances.